


navigating adolescence

by kokomo (kokomocha)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-19 08:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22041298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kokomocha/pseuds/kokomo
Summary: With their parents gone, Piers has had to raise Marnie.Little drabbles/vignettes of Piers watching Marnie grow up.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 69





	navigating adolescence

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 19/09: WTF AABjhbsdkhjbkdj I WAS STONED WHEN I WROTE THIS SHIT THAT'S WHY ITS ALL IN ACCENTS IM SO SORRY WJDNKEDNKEWJDF  
>   
> i didn't write it to be shippy but if you ship spikecest, whatever i can't control how u read it.  
> basically just piers raising marnie from ages 12-16, i hc that their parents died/left when piers was like 16 or whatever and that there's a seven-year age gap between piers and marnie.  
> hnggg please my fucking heart i love piers so much and he just loves his sister and wants the best for her.  
> these are styled like little flashbacks/timejumps.
> 
> *TRIGGER WARNING*  
> homophobia, self-harm, recreational drug use idk m
> 
> love u mwah  
> -kokomo

“I’m 12. I need one. Everyone else is wearin’ one.”  
Marnie stood before her brother with such a certain and confident stance that he couldn’t exactly refuse her.  
“Everyone? I’m not wearin’ one, Marn,” Piers chuckled.  
She sighed, looking away. He frowned. This was serious.  
“Sorry, bad timin’. But… but you haven’t even started your…” Piers trailed off, one hand rubbing the nape of his neck, feeling it grow hot with embarrassment.  
These conversations were never easy.  
“You don’t know that! I could’ve started it last year!”  
He squinted with disbelief, “You would’ve asked me to get you supplies before.”  
She huffed, crossing her arms. He was always right.  
Piers knew that ever since the passing of their parents that he’d have to be the adult in practically every situation. It forced him out of his childhood and ensured that he’d have to watch over his sister’s. But it felt weird. Watching his sister go through puberty.  
Piers glanced to the ground beside him. He knew that he had to be the adult in the situation but there was something so damn...nervewracking about taking care of his sister’s needs. Not that he’d never seen her chest before; he changed her diapers and donned her in clothes when she was a wee one. But this was different. He wasn’t her parent, he was her older brother.  
He was afraid he wasn’t doing this right.  
He exhaled sharply.  
“Okay, okay, okay. Tell ya what. Let’s take a taxi to Hammerlocke in the AM and run by the undergarment shop there.”  
They stood silent in the hallway that separated their rooms. They lived together in the condo gifted to him by the city for becoming the Gym Leader of Spikemuth. It was a rather modest place tucked away in the corner of the dark village, which meant the two were easily separated from the rest. And why they had to wait until tomorrow to purchase her bras, since Spikemuth had practically nothing, besides the convenience store, the Pokemon Center, and the Little Clinic.  
Marnie nodded her head. “Deal, but first thing tomorrow.”  
Piers groaned.  
\---  
“Goddamn that was draining,” Piers remarked, pushing open their front door with one open hand as the other held shopping bags full of underwear.  
Marnie stepped inside before her brother, turning around to hold the door for him. He stumbled inside, embracing the warm air of their home. The shopping bags were set on the dining table, one tumbling over and spilling out its contents.  
A tiny black training bra. Tiny matching hip-hugging underwear.  
Exhausted, Piers scooped up his baby sister’s new undergarments and shoved them back in the bag. Marnie, watching like a hawk, swooped in to obtain her belongings, snatching them by the handles as she walked upstairs wordlessly. The stairs creaked beneath her weight, and Piers watched her ascend.  
Yeah, that sucked at first. Walking behind her through multiple tween-targeted stores to find bras that she liked, and he bought her every single one. She’d try them on in the fitting rooms, actually leaving one room to show her brother a sports bra she liked.  
“Looks good,” Piers had said with a faint smile, flashing a thumbs-up. Marnie had giggled, twirling around to show her brother the backside.  
And that’s what made it all worth it. Seeing how happy she was to try these on and to show him only demonstrated the trust she had in him and the excitement she had about growing up.  
And he actually had fun! He hated to admit it, but it was… fun spending time with her. The initial awkwardness had melted away as he had begun to run bras he found to her dressing room, thinking she’d like some. It was only weird if he made it weird. She had needed a few sports bras, a few training bras, a couple unlined bras for comfort, a couple bralettes to match with her outfits. Of course, most of them were black in color.  
He wondered why he didn’t do this sooner.  
He snapped out of his train of thought at the sound of Marnie descending the stairs.  
Words spilled out of his mouth before he knew it, “Let me know if you need anythin’ else.”  
But she needed a hug from her brother. She nestled herself in his leather jacket, standing on her tiptoes, whispering in his ear, “Thank you, bro. I love you.”  
His heart grew at the sound of those words.  
“I love you too Marn. I’d do anything for you.” He felt her squeeze him harder.  
This was what mattered the most in the world.  
He held her in his arms for a tender moment.  
Then scooped her up as she squealed in delight, tossing her in the air as they both laughed. 

“Piers, what’s this...?” Marnie asked, pulling a wet, used condom from their shared bathroom garbage with a careful pinch of her fingers.  
His face turned white.  
Oh yeah, that was in there.  
“Um...Um...Um…” The words wouldn’t come out.  
“An’ what’s this stuff inside?” She began to pull it apart before Piers frantically smacked it out of her hand, and it landed on the tile floor with an uncomfortable squelch. She looked up at him in confusion.  
“What’s goin’ on?”  
Piers stiffened his muscles.  
Guess this wasn’t really inevitable.  
“Um… We, uh… Well, I guess you are 12 already… Um… Fuck, how do I—Ok Marn, we got some stuff to talk ‘bout after dinner tonight. Er… Rookidees and Combees n’ such.”  
“...What?”

Marnie rapped at her brother’s bedroom door frantically.  
Unknown to her, he was busy doing… guy things. It was 2 am, anyway. This was the only time he really had to himself. With everyone else (i.e. Marnie) in the house asleep, Piers was able to put his… adult videos on a low volume.  
So Marnie sucked her teeth as she heard the distant sound of multiple girls moaning.  
And the sound of Piers slamming his computer shut, mortified, as he heard her knocks too late.  
Mere moments later, the doorknob creaked as Piers slowly opened the door, putting his hands in his pajama bottoms.  
“Uh, hey… Marnie… what d’ya need?” The man grinned guiltily through clenched teeth.  
She stared up at him. His eyes were sunken with fatigue and dwindling arousal.  
“F’get it,” she muttered, walking back to her room.  
Fuck.

They sat at the table for dinner, a silence heavy enough to suffocate.  
"Piers..." a small voice echoed from across the table. He looked up to see her stare emptily into her bowl of spaghetti.  
"Y'ok?" he asked tentatively.  
She matched his gaze with soggy eyes. "I miss 'em... I... I know they weren't good... but I miss 'em..."  
Piers sighed. "I know, kid. I do too."  
  


He heard yelling from her room.  
He shrugged it off, until shit began to bang against the door of her room.  
He stretched before opening his door, walking down the short hallway, and knocking on her door with one knuckle.  
“All right in there?” He asked.  
“Gh!” She growled as yet another object hit the door.  
He opened it carefully, preparing to endure whatever hit him.  
But now she was crying on her bed, face down, legs hanging off.  
Erm...  
She was mad just a moment ago… why is she now… sad?  
Piers sat on the bed beside her, chuckling at the creak of her bedframe upon receiving his weight. He placed one pale palm on her back, rubbing it.  
“‘S goin’ on, Marn?” He asked, speaking as if every word were a tiptoe around a minefield.  
Whatever she said was muffled by her face in her comforter.  
Piers paused. “Er, ya gonna have to speak up for me, yeah?”  
She threw her head from the comforter and barked at Piers with tear-stained eyes and a malicious frown, “ME. SOCKS. ARE. GONE. Me good socks!”  
Piers paused and stifled a bit of laughter, “Ya throwin’ a fit ‘cause... ya socks are gone? Er Marn… Aren’t ya bein’ a bit… emotional?” Wrong words, despite his good intentions of bringing her back to reality.  
He was chased out of the room by an angry, flailing Marnie, throwing pillows and screaming through tears, “IF YE JUS’ GONN’ MAKE FUN O’ ME LEAVE ME FUCKIN’ ROOM YA BASTARD I’M TIRED O’ YA SHITE I CANNA TAKE THIS FUCKIN’ HOUSE ANYMORE!”  
He ran back to his room like his life depended on it, pressing his body against the door to prevent any more barrages.  
God, her mood swings had been worse than her Morpeko’s for the past few months.  
Hormones are a hell of a drug. 

13 years old.  
Oatmeal for breakfast. Along with scrambled eggs, which Piers was surprisingly good at making. He wasn’t too familiar with cooking so he stuck with things his parents had taught him to cook.  
He watched as Marnie shuffled them around her plate with her fork.  
He hummed without tune as she looked up at him.  
“Mm, what’s wrong, Marn?” He patiently asked through a mouthful of scrambled egg.  
Silence.  
He blew a hair out of his face and addressed her again, “All right?”  
Silence yet again.  
Piers sighed, twisting his spoon around his oatmeal. “I won’t bother y’again, but don’t say I—”  
“I’m bi,” Marnie finally declared, still staring at her scrambled eggs.  
“Mm?” Piers hummed between bites of egg.  
“I’m bisexual.”  
“...”  
Piers resumed eating.  
He’d come out as bisexual to their parents back when they were still alive. He had brought a boy home for several months and allowed his parents to live under the assumption that he was just a male friend, playing video games with their Pokemon upstairs, and not his boyfriend at the time. He remembered that one day, he couldn’t take it anymore. His boyfriend asked if he could meet Piers’ parents not as a friend, but as their son’s boyfriend, and so Piers made plans to tell his parents the very next day.  
“No son o’mine is gonna be a pillow-bitin’ homo,” his dad had growled along with a few other slurs.  
“Why would ya choose to like cock?” his mother had demanded.  
Whatever. They were gone now.  
They resumed eating, the silence of the house filled by Piers’ munching. Marnie played with her oatmeal.  
She took her first bite.  
Hm.  
Hm!  
Then it really hit him!  
His little sister just came out as bi to him.  
Just came out as bi!!  
Piers shot up and sauntered over excitedly to Marnie’s side of the table, where she continued to mash her food with the bottom of her spoon.  
She looked up at him, towering over her with a shy grin.  
He looked down at her and he scooped her little body up into his arms, throwing her in the air as she began to laugh, not caring that the bowl of oatmeal spilled as he lifted her from the table. He was too happy. He was too happy for her.  
His face stretched into a genuine smile before pulling her into a warm hug, cheering, “My lil sis is bi! Jus’ like her brother!”  
She giggled in his embrace as he spun around happily, swinging her to and fro.  
“B-Bro!” she chastised through high-pitched laughs as he kissed her cheek.  
“I-I’m sorry, I’m just so… so proud of ya,” Piers lowered her to the ground as he grinned at her.  
Marnie’s shy smile made his heart swell. “Thanks, bro. I… I love ya.”  
“I love ya too Marn.”  
\---  
She woke up early the next morning to find a gift bag at the foot of her door.  
Inside was a small bisexual flag for her wall. 

  


"...Ya sure about this?" Piers asked quietly, running his hands through her thin black hair. She sat on the floor of the main bathroom, leaned up against the toilet and nestled between her brother's legs, who sat atop it. He held an electric razor in his hand, the other pulling her hair back to expose her hairline.  
"Jus' get on with it!" Marnie barked.  
"Alright, alright." He placed the buzzing razor up against her hairline, removing the wispy hairs that lay flat.  
"Wait, wait!!" He pulled the razor back, alarmed at her hesitation.  
"Er, Marn... I've already started..." He trailed off, rubbing the nape of his neck. He heard a sigh spill from her mouth as she shook her head.  
"I-I don't think I wan it all gone quite yet..."  
"Er... alright. Then we could jus'... do ya hairline, since it's gone already...?" He could tell she was toying with the idea.  
"...Do what ya want. Jus' make it look nice. Guess there's no turnin' back."  
He pulled her hair away from her head as he etched triangular designs into his sister's hairline, playing with different patterns. He left her signature bangs but removed all the hair around it.  
Fuck, fuck, fuck. They should have just gone to a stylist.  
He pulled the razor away and helped her up after tying her hair into a ponytail. She closed her eyes, then opened them in front of the mirror.  
She was silent.  
"Marn, I'm sorry..." Piers muttered.  
"I... I love it. Thank you," she responded, mesmerized by her new hair, running her fingers over the shaved spots, "I love it."  
Piers looked down at her and smiled. She threw herself into his arms, thanking him.  


14 years old.  
Marnie was more distant than ever.  
Oatmeal for breakfast. Along with scrambled eggs and Belgian waffles, which Piers was surprisingly good at making. He’d learned from a cookbook.  
Piers watched her avoid eating her oatmeal bowl, mashing it with her spoon.  
“Y’oughta eat somethin’, Marn. If you’re not feeling well, I can run ya to the Little Clinic,” he voiced his concern through a deep monotone.  
“Don’ worry ‘bout it.”  
“...Marn.”  
“I said don’ worry ‘bout it.”  
“... Please talk to me. I can’t help ya if ya don’t tell me what’s goin’ on…”  
A heavy silence. Then, a voice smaller than her Morpeko.  
“ᴵ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵐʸ ᵖᵉʳᶦᵒᵈ.”  
“Huh? Whatcha say?”  
“...ᴵ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵐʸ ᵖᵉʳᶦᵒᵈ.”  
“...Oh…”  
But he heard a stifled sob from the other side of the table, and he saw his sister hide her face with her hands.  
...Marnie…” Piers trailed off, placing his spoon beside his bowl, “why didn’t ya tell me earlier?”  
“I...I was just embarrassed…”  
Piers pushed himself from the table and stood up promptly, pushing his chair back into its spot as he approached the other side of the table carefully.  
She still lay her face in her hands as she choked on silent sobs.  
Piers crouched down on his knees beside her chair and placed one gentle hand on her back, rubbing up and down to comfort her.  
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Marnie. It’s all part of growin’ up. It’s completely normal. Ya don’t need ta be embarrassed, I knew we’d get here somed—”  
His thoughts were interrupted by Marnie leaning into her brother’s body, gripping onto his leather jacket, pulling herself into the warmth of her brother as she stained his shirt with hot tears.  
“I-I-I f-feel like a f-f-fuckin’ freak… It’s s-so gross… everything hurts...a-and I’ve been havin’ ta bunch up t-t-toilet paper in my underwear f-for the past few days…” she cried, stuttering, pulling her brother in further, burying herself in his embrace.  
Piers inhaled deeply as he wrapped his sister in his arms, holding her in his arms. “Marn, ya not a freak. It’s natural. It means ya gettin’ older. Ya body’s just… changin’... A-And ya shouldn’t be usin’ TP for that. I’ve got supplies.”  
Marnie lifted her head from her brother’s shirt, looking up at him with soggy, dark eyes.  
“Y-you have stuff?” she stammered, still holding back a cry.  
“‘Course I do. Been in the cabinet for a bit. I’ll go grab it for ya, alright?” Piers released his sister from his hold and stood up, darting to the main floor restroom. Marnie could make out the slamming of cupboard doors and the disgruntled sounds of her brother’s frustrations before he emerged with a sealed package of regular-sized pads in his hands.  
“Couldn’t find it at first but now we got it… Here.” He spoke confidently, placing the package on the dining table. Marnie flinched at the sight of something formerly taboo.  
“I’ve got some pads for you. Jus’ uh…. unwrap, stick ‘em in ya panties, and they’ll catch all that falls. Jus’ make sure not to flush ‘em.”  
Marnie sighed as she grabbed the package of pads and placed them on her lap.  
“We can always run to the convenience store togetha and pick out the size right for ya flow. And we can try tampons when ya more comfort’ble with it. But these should work for now, since it is ya first…” Piers continued, rubbing her back.  
Marnie was sniffling, rubbing her dripping nose with her sleeve.  
“Y-You’re not grossed out?”  
“What? Nonsense. It’s normal an’ natural. ‘S part of life.”  
A faint smile grew on her face.  
But she still needed something.  
Piers grinned as he spoke, “An’ I’m takin’ the day off...Well, not that I’ve got any challengers today anyway, but...You ‘n me, we’re watchin’ Netflix ‘n Tepiggin’ out on crisps… Howzat sound?”  
Marnie was silent.  
She breathlessly chuckled before lunging back into her brother’s arms, whispering in his ear, “I love you, Piers. Thank you.”  
Piers hugged her back.  
“Wait,” Marnie asked, narrowing her eyes, “...What’s a ‘Tepig’?”

Piers rapped on the bathroom door.  
“C’mon, sis, ya been in the shower for like, a year, everythin’ alright?”  
He heard a hitched groan as Marnie yelled back, “I-I’m fine! I’ll be done in a—moment!”  
And that’s when he heard the faint buzzing sound.  
He turned red.  
Ah.  
“T-Take all the time ya need,” Piers muttered, walking back to his room.  
Some things are better left unmentioned.

  


15 years old.  
He didn’t really care about the weed stash he found in his sisters’ closet.  
He was originally looking for his jacket, since she wore it out the night before.  
He’d found it immediately since it was atop her dirty clothes hamper, but his eye caught the faded black coin purse in the corner of the closet.  
She never usually leaves important items like this behind.  
Had she lost it by accident?  
He pinched the gold zipper and opened the coin purse. Inside lay a THC cartridge attached to a sleek black dab pen beside a travel-sized air freshener, a tied-up cord charger snaking around the interior.  
Huh.  
W….  
What technology!  
He’d been so used to rolling joints for himself and his peers that he’d never looked for an alternative! He’d never even seen anything like this… it seemed so… practical! And hassle-free!  
Smooth! Innocuous! Everything he needed!  
He’d have to ask Marnie where she got this.  
Wait, wait, wait, fuck.  
She was 15.  
How did she get a hold of this??  
And she’s not really supposed to be doing this kind of shit!  
He snapped back to reality, and with coin purse in hand, he walked downstairs and put it on the counter, having the talk wait until after dinner.  
\---  
He broke the ice with, “So, Marn, I found ya dab pen.” They were eating grilled cheese and tomato soup, and Marnie was famished. Piers was getting good at cooking. He even made brownies for the both of them for dessert.  
She didn’t even look up when she muttered, “So ya were goin’ through my room, yeah? I got no privacy in this house.”  
Piers’ heart dropped.  
Fuck, hadn’t thought about that.  
“No, no, don’t turn this on me,” Piers grumbled back to her, “an’ I’m not mad or anythin’. Could care less. Jus’ want to make sure that ya bein’ safe when ya do that.”  
“Hm? Safe?”  
“Ya know. Don’ buy shit from blokes ya don’ know. If ya really lookin’ for more, ask me. Legal age is 21, an’ I’m past it, so I can buy ya any safe cartridges or whateva from the actual dispensaries in Motostoke.”  
“... You mean it?”  
“Yeah, sure. You an’ I can smoke up sometime too. I’m okay with ya experimentin’ with drugs, only if ya bein’ ultra safe ‘bout it.”  
“...I’ll be safe.”  
“Kay. That’s all I wanted to hear. An’ if ya ever get yaself in a pickle, call me. But don’ be makin’ the house smell like pot. An’ don’t do it all the time.”  
Marnie smiled shyly.  
“...An’ bloody hell! Where did you get that pen? They don’t sell those kind in Galar!” Piers exclaimed, stars in his eyes.  
Marnie giggled breathily, “Me friend in Alola brought it over when she visited last month and gave it t’ me as a birthday gift. ‘Parently it’s like, super big there. It’s an Alolan exclusive!”  
Piers laughed, “Tell me when ya friend comes to town again, yeah? Might have to ask her about one for me!”

"I don't want to grow up," she sighed through clenched teeth.  
"I know, kid, I know," he responded, petting her head as she lay in his lap.  
  


A knock at his bedroom door.  
Another knock.  
It was 2 am.  
Piers knew better now; he had his porn hooked up to earbuds. But he heard the faint raps at his door, so he shoved the computer aside and made himself somewhat decent, donning dark pajama bottoms over his boxers but neglecting to put on a shirt. He opened the door nonchalantly, cracking his neck.  
“‘S 2 am sis, what’s the d—”  
But she was sobbing, sobbing, sobbing. Her face was buried in her hands as her body was racked with heavy cries, back heaving with big breaths, her sports bra stretching with each inhale. Her makeshift pajamas were wet with tears.  
Piers frowned and opened his door wider, pulling his sister into his room, flicking on the light switch to illuminate the dank, dirty space. A bed in the corner on the floor. A desk in the other corner. Clothes everywhere. She didn’t object.  
Piers sat on his unmade bed, beckoning her to sit next to him. She complied. She slumped onto the bed.  
“Talk to me, sis. What’s goin’ on? Are you well?” His words were jumbled as he placed a careful hand on her back and rubbed up and down.  
She threw herself into her brother’s arms. And he looked down, patting her on the head, enveloping her with his warm embrace.  
But she just cried.  
And he just held her.  
“I-I’m scared, Bro… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...” she trailed off with a shaky tone. Marnie was never scared. She was the bravest person he knew. Braver than him.  
He released her and she laid her head on his lap, still heaving with sobs. He petted her head to soothe her, running his hands through the strands of her thin black hair.  
“What’zit about?” Piers asked softly. She seemed incredibly distressed. It’d been a while since he’d seen her like this. Was this over some guy or girl, or maybe school was getting too tough? Or something?  
Please be something minor. Please don’t let her hurt.  
“Th-Th-Th—” her sentence was interrupted by yet another wave of sobs. She pushed her hands over her head.  
And he wasn’t sure how he didn’t notice earlier.  
His face turned white.  
Fresh self-harm wounds lining her wrists, overlapping faded scars.  
One wrist was wrapped in an Ace bandage, but the dark blood stained the outside. The other was covered in smeared dried blood. It reached the crook of her elbow, the most prominent marks at the junction between her wrist and her hand.  
His world was coming undone.  
His stomach knotted upon itself. He felt like he was going to throw up.  
He knew he needed to be the adult, but he couldn’t control the waterfall.  
He felt warm tears run down his face, falling onto her head. His hand gripped strands of her hair as his face contorted into a raw look of pain, hot tears spilling from his eyes as he uncontrollably wailed out, covering his mouth with shaky hands. He sobbed her name, grabbing her wrist tenderly, observing the damage with cloudy eyes.  
Marnie shook from beneath him. It’d been a while since he’d cried like this. She stained his pajama bottoms with fresh tears.  
“I-I’m sorry, Bro, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”  
He brought her wounds to his lips and kissed them, pressing them against his face, crying harder at the overwhelming stench of spilled blood. The stain on the bandage was growing bigger.  
“M-M-M-M—” he couldn’t even spit out a coherent sentence. He couldn’t stop shaking. He was so fucking scared.  
He could’ve lost her.  
He could have really, really fucking lost her.  
She grabbed his legs, running her fingers over the soft fabric as she sniffled.  
Piers tried to even his breathing.  
In, out, in, out.  
He needed her to know that everything would be alright. That her big bro’s got her.  
But how long has this been going on for?  
How long did he not know?  
He stifled yet another sob as he shifted his legs, prompting her to rise from his lap. She looked at him with soggy, dark eyes. His breath was taut as he pulled her in for a hug. He squeezed her tight, feeling the fabric of the black sports bra he picked out for her so long ago press against his bare chest.  
She was so young still.  
She had so much ahead of her.  
Where did he go wrong with raising her?  
Was this all because of him?  
“W-We’re gonna get ya help, Marn,” he spoke shakily into her ear, still holding her like his life depended on it, “a-a-and we’re gonna start with takin’ ya to the Little Clinic to get ya cleaned n’ stitched up… h-h-howzzat sound?”  
He felt her nod softly as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

His breath hitched in his throat as he pulled out a lacey red crotchless thong from his 16-year-old sister’s laundry load drying in the machine.  
When the fuck was she wearing this?  
His face grew cold with fear as he conjured an image of Marnie wearing this garment. And grew red with anger as he imagined who might be the viewer.  
Who bought this for her?  
Who was seeing her in this?  
Who was taking this off her?  
He ground his teeth as he clenched the thong in his hand. He hadn’t bought her this thong. He had purchased thongs for her before, since she was growing and wanted to wear undergarments that didn’t leave lines. But he hadn’t bought her anything like this.  
This was unprecedented.  
He knew this was her business, and it was rude to disrupt. He’d lost his virginity at 14. She’s a teenager. She can have sex with whoever she wants.  
Sex.  
Sex.  
He suddenly felt very… territorial? No. Jealous? Gross, no. Scared? That seemed right.  
He took a deep breath. He needed to be the adult. And getting mad at her for having sex would do no one any good.  
No good. No good.  
He just needed to make sure she was okay.  
He flung his sister’s bedroom door open with such force that she jumped, knocking her headphones off her ears. She turned her head to her brother, and spouted, “Can ya knock before enterin’?”  
Piers stood in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed as he extended a hand forward, gripping the thong in a pale fist.  
“Think we needa have a talk, Marn” he spoke evenly.  
Marnie’s face grew white. “W-Where did you get those?”  
Piers sighed as he spilled, “M-Movin’ ya laundry along. C’mon, let me sit down.”  
Marnie fired back in ashamed defense, “W-What’s there to talk about? L-leave me alone!”  
Piers couldn’t do this anymore.  
He knew he wouldn’t win this.  
He took a deep breath. And another one.  
He sighed, stumbling to the corner of his sister’s bed, sitting down on the plush black comforter, burying his face in his hands.  
“Marn…” he began, “I’m not mad. Or embarrassed or whatever. I know girls wear these things, it’s jus’... I-I…”  
Marnie responded, covering her face, “It’s a bit humiliating to have ya brother find ya nice panties… and for him to talk about it...”  
“I-I’m sorry, I just got scared. I need to realize that ya 16 and… and able to do what ya want. I mean… I… I just got scared, Marnie. I don’t want any bloke hurtin’ you. And I don’t want to… I don’t want to lose me Marnie. It’s… It’s selfish, I know, but I just got… We just… We tell each other everythin’.” His voice cracked.  
He felt a body press against his back as two slender, covered arms pulled him in for an embrace.  
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told ya. Didn’t have a reason not to. I just was embarassed.”  
He exhaled through his nose and smiled softly. “Nah, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to get on ya case like that. Just…” He turned to face her, “...just tell me ya bein’ safe!”  
Marnie turned red. “B-Bro!”  
Piers rubbed his face, handing her her thong. She snatched it from his clutches and hid them beneath her pillow.  
“Ya know what I mean,” he continued, massaging his temples, “like, like, is he at least wearin’ condoms? Or she… washin’ or hands or some shit? I dunno how girls do that.”  
Marnie shuddered, covering her ears in humiliation. “Stop talking! Stop talking!”  
Piers had had the talk with her when she was younger. He knew she knew all this. But it was a whole new world to be actually applying it.  
“Listen to me. She’d better be safe with ya, and if it’s a he, if he not wearin’ condoms, ya better make him. I don’ wanna be an uncle anytime soon,” he chuckled, “and I don’ want ya to be gettin’ any STDs. But seriously....I mean… Marn, are they good to ya?”  
She looked up at her brother and shrugged. “H-He was safe! I… I know he oughta wear condoms, I made him. An’ we not datin’ or anythin’. He just wanted to...”  
Piers sighed and grabbed his sister’s shoulder with a cold hand. “Don’ let any bloke or lass use ya for sex, Marn. And if any of ‘em hurt ya, I’ll have a fuckin’ field day, ya hear me?”  
Marnie looked up at her brother, smiling.  
His eyebrows raised, “So… how was it?”  
“You can’t ask questions like that!!...” her face turned away as a pleasant blush crossed her cheeks, “...but it was nice.”  
“‘S all that matters,” he shrugged, “...er, where did you guys…?”  
“Oh, y’know… your room,” she giggled as he pushed her over on to the bed.  
“Ya full of shit!” Piers laughed as he tossed his sister around. She grabbed a pillow from behind her and smacked him with it.

“I’m just afraid I won’ be good enough,” Marnie groaned through a frown.  
“Nonsense,” Piers responded, “you’ll do wonderfully. Even Morpeko’s rarin’ to go.”  
It was true. Beside their dinner table where they ate herb-crusted salmon and char-grilled asparagus paired with flaky crescent rolls (Piers had become a wonderful cook, having made meals for two for so long), Morpeko happily squeaked as she munched on her Poffins.  
“I mean, I wanna do the Gym Challenge, but it feels like… I dunno, I’ve got no one. Like I’ll be all alone. An’ no one knows who I am, an’ no one will be cheerin’ for me.”  
“Oh, enough, Marn. Ya the damn best trainer I know, an’ ya will make a fine Gym Leader once I step down. Ya so in tune with ya team it’s almost eerie,” he offered with a smile.  
“But I just… I’ve only got you, Piers. Not that I’m not appreciative, but, just...”  
“An’ you’ll always have me. Marn. ‘Til the end. An’ I understand. But I’m gon’ prove to ya that I’m not ya only cheerleada.”  
Marnie exhaled, smiling faintly as she put another bite of salmon in her mouth.  
\---  
He waited with her at the entrance to Motostoke, the starting point for all Gym Challengers, where all the challengers were gathered. Marnie looked around at all the new faces, all their Pokemon beside them, all the cameras and all the tension in the air. Behind them were groups of frantic fans, all dressed in similar pink-accented dark outfits, cheering the same name over and over and over again.  
“Marnie! Marnie! Marnie!”  
She blushed and looked at the ground, unfamiliar with this much attention.  
Piers rubbed her shoulder as he stood beside her.  
“So… What did I tell ya?” Piers smiled at the young girl, “Y’got a whole fanclub.”  
“Ya did this, didn’ ya?” Marnie looked up at her brother with one raised eyebrow.  
“I dunno what ya talkin’ ‘bout,” he shrugged, looking away with a guilty grin.  
To his surprise she enveloped him in a warm hug. He patted her head.  
“Thank ya, Piers. For everything. I love ya.”  
He couldn’t help but break into a proud smile as he kissed the top of her head, “I love ya too.”  
And suddenly he was glad that he was given the opportunity to raise her.

**Author's Note:**

> my long-term boyfriend cheated on me so i wrote this to cope  
> didn't really proofread it sorry  
> UPDATE 08/24: thank you so so much for your kind words u guys my heart ( ´•̥̥̥ω•̥̥̥` )♡ as of now im going to uni in a new country and while things got rlly ugly for a while they turned out kinda okay, i lost all the people i considered my friends and i think the ex-bf bought an apartment with her but im living somewhere new with places n people to see!!!! life is good stay alive xoxo


End file.
